The Daisy Train

The Daisy Train is ready to roll!!We finally have “The Beast” back from the RV hospital. It has been a patient at Alliance Coach since 6/30 and we were beginning to wonder if it would be finished before time to leave The Villages.

Side note: Alliance Coach – Wildwood at The Villages, FL is absolutely wonderful! If you are in the area and looking for a new trailer, motor coach, parts, or service, speak with Mike Wittman. He sure took care of these two novice RV owners. They even have a campground and dog park!

So, we were a bit nervous about our repair bill. There were 11 items that were MUST do and a few that were optional. But, it all turned out well and kind of weird. For instance, how much do you think it would cost to fix an AC unit? Now, how much would you guess two new side mirrors would cost?Unless you have dealt with these issues, I bet your guess was wrong. The AC cost $180 to fix. The new side mirrors cost almost $2000!!! Bah! The mirrors are all smart and fancy with turn signals, heat, tinting… Basically, you can’t change styles or downgrade because the wiring won’t match up.But, we got a great deal on our RV and we knew that meant we would need to put some money into it. So, we paid around $20K under book value and our 11 repairs cost us $2900 (yes, that is $2K for the mirrors and $900 for 10 additional repairs). Plus, the alternator belt installed on the side of i10 in TX cost $500. So, we still feel like it was a great purchase. (See interiors photos below this post.)

Budget: For those following our budgeting process, this is how we pay for the RV, maintenance, fuel, and camping: It comes out of our housing budget. We budget $2000/month for housing no matter what. As you can imagine, the months of living in the RV are far below that budget. Of course, most of the homes we rent are below that monthly cost, as well. It’s working for now. We’ll keep you posted.

That’s awesome. I could totally do that. What do the dog(s) think? I forgot if you have 1 or 2. I always think when I go to a hotel that part of what makes it special is not having the weight of all the stuff in your house that needs tending.

Yes, we have 2 dogs and they do great. Daisy likes to be the hood ornament and lay on the dash while we drive. Boogie is fat and old an he just sleeps in his bed or on the couch. He doesn’t really care. Btw, we don’t miss our stuff EVER!